The Scarred Flesh
by The Desert Dancer
Summary: Part Three of Eli Cameron's adventures. After driving out the White Legs from Zion Canyon, Courier Eli Cameron and Joshua Graham sit down at a campsite and chat. A few secrets are revealed and the backstory of the mysterious courier with the Old World flag is revealed a bit. Rated M for strong language and mentions of violence. Complete!


The Scarred Flesh

 **I do not own Fallout New Vegas, that belongs to Obsidian and Bethesda.**

Quiet rained throughout Zion Canyon, a welcome change to the area. The tribes no longer needed to fear retaliation from the White Legs, with the rouge group having finally been driven up via some help from the Courier. As said Courier rested at a nearby campfire, cleaning his pistols, he looked up at the man he had fought side by side with against the fearsome Salt-Upon-Wounds; Joshua Graham, the Burned Man, the leader of the Dead Horses, the former Malpais Legate and right-hand man of the infamous Caesar.

It was kinda funny in a way; going in guns blazing and taking on a whole horde of tribals, with one of the Legion's greatest soldiers having his back. Or at least, former soldier. All the burns on Graham's body were a more than helpful reminder of the punishment Graham received after the First Battle of Hoover Dam. That the man Eli saw before him was no longer the fearsome Malpais Legate, but rather a shadow of that man, a burned out husk of that Legate that just kept on walking and didn't seem to realise he had died. Eli couldn't imagine living like that; bandaged all up and in constant pain, every waking moment a reminder of his past. The Courier had to admit, it would take a strong man to deal with that shit every day.

"By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea we wept when we remembered Zion. Remember, O lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem who said, 'Raze it, raze it, even to the foundation'." Joshua Graham stated, breaking the silence that had fallen. "O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed. Happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones."

"You really love quotin' that book of yours, don't ya?" Eli inquired, looking over at Graham.

"I find reading scripture soothing, a way to allow me a momentary respite from the rest of the world." Graham answered. "I would like to read more books, but finding literature in today's world proves to be a most difficult task. Most, if not all, books have long since been burned and ruined."

"Yeah well, least the White Legs are gone." Eli responded, shrugging his shoulders. "Drove those fuckers right outta here and made sure that Salt-Upon-Wounds knows not to fuck with Zion anymore."

"I know, and I must thank you for what you have done." Joshua stated. "Not only have you helped Zion, but you also helped me. You helped me by stopping me from giving into my fire and fury, and stopping me from going down a dark path. It must have been tough for you, given your hatred for…well, my past."

"It was that obvious, huh?" Eli inquired.

"I could sense your fury as soon as you laid eyes on me, a fury that burned as brightly as the flames that scorched my flesh those many years ago." Joshua replied. "I had known many a man who despised the Legion, but your hatred…it felt more raw, like a wound that had constantly been reopened and never properly healed. I did suspect at times that I would meet my end by your gun, especially after we had driven out the White Legs together."

"Yeah well...all cards on the table, I can't deny that. As soon as I figured out who you were, I wanted to fuckin' blow your brains out." The Courier stated. "Cause I was there at Malpais, when you and your Legion fuckers steamrolled over everybody 'n raped the women and crucified everyone. Lost a lotta friends that day; heck, only reason I didn't join them was cause I was leadin' the children to safety. So I hope you can understand why I hated your guts as soon as I saw ya."

"I cannot blame you; what I did before was…reprehensible. I committed truly vulgar acts, and I doubt anything I can do on this Earth will wash away my sins." Joshua answered. "But I must ask, what changed? Do you no longer wish to end my life?"

"Nah, I still am kinda tempted to blow your bandaged brains out." Eli answered. "But…well, it doesn't seem satisfying. Because I'm not looking at that Legate anymore, the fucker who destroyed Malpais and helped Caesar out. Nah, I'm looking at some poor bastard who got thrown into the Dam while set on fire, someone who's just a shadow of who they once were. It'd be like shootin' a dying man; be a waste of a bullet. 'Sides, I think you've changed, much as I don't like to admit it. Can only hope you lead the Dead Horses into the right direction."

"Well then, I thank you for your mercy then. Even if the anger you hold still burns brightly." Joshua answered. "And since we are confessing, I must admit I did not expect you to arrive here. I had heard that a courier was arriving with a caravan, but you weren't the one I anticipated."

As soon as those words passed Joshua's charred lips, Eli felt something bubble up inside him. No, no way. There's no way Graham could be talking about _that_ courier, the one that had been a thorn in Eli's side since day one. But given how Lady Luck had treated the Courier recently, he already felt like he knew the answer.

"This courier you were expecting, does he have dark skin?" Eli inquired. "And wears a jacket with the Old World flag on the back?"

"I don't know about the clothes he wears, given it has been many years since I last saw him." Joshua answered. "But he does have dark skin and ties his hair up in the ways of his old tribe, the Twisted Hairs."

"The Twisted Hairs?" Eli asked. "Can't exactly say that's a tribe I'm familiar with."

"I do not find that surprising, given the tribe was assimilated into the Legion very early in their history. The Legion used the Twisted Hairs, promising them great power and wealth, before betraying the tribe and forcing them to kneel before the Bull." Graham explained. "They were known to have elaborate hairstyles and bead their hairs, much like how the White Legs fashion their hairs. But unlike the White Legs, the Twisted Hairs put meaning into their beads and hairstyles, each twisted lock and bead having special purpose."

"And this courier fella was a part of this tribe?" Eli inquired.

"Yes, he was. He was a frumentarius of the Legion, trained by Vulpes Inculta himself." Joshua explained. "He proved to be a good spy for us, until he disappeared after the purging of the Divide. His name was an unusual one, for it had roots in both Latin and American history. His name was Ulysses."

"Ulysses huh?" Eli asked. "Well, guess I finally got a name to this fucker…"

"Why the interest, if you don't mind me asking?" Graham said. "It seems like more than just polite curiosity."

"Let's just say I'm waitin' to meet this Ulysses fella." The Courier stated, as he stood up and stretched. "And all I need is for him to send me a message."

 **And The Scarred Flesh is done and dusted. I'd like to thank Alexeij, Fanfictionfan3601, HappinessIsBlau, IamtheAble, colstrent, Ankownymous, Mandalore the Freedom and Starship King for all of their reviews and support. Anyway, I hope to see you guys and gals soon!**

 **Love,**

 **The Desert Dancer**


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